Power control apparatus



' sheets-sheet 1 Sept. ll, 1936. G. T. HARcoURT PowER CONTROL APPARATUS Original Filed May 25, 1929 ATTORNEY Sept. 1, 1936. G. T. 'HAR'coURT POWER CONTROL APPARATUS 2 sheets-sheet 2 Original .Filed May 25, 1923 Lw nl@ Patented Sept. 1, 1936 Y UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE POWER ooNrnoL APPARATUS Original application May 23, 1929, Serial No.

365,535. Divided and this application Novemher 21, 1933, Serial N0. 698,971.

Britain May 7, 1930 In Great 501mm. (o1. 121-3) Y volves pressure as in pushing'or compressing, or

reverse laction as in drawing and pulling, or both (movements.` While of general application the invention has been particularly developed in relation to small or portable machines, especially hand machines which are of small size and light Weight but effect a great multiplication of the power initia'lly applied. Y

One object of the invention is to effect the combination of a quick travel movement of the working plunger having a minimum application of power with a slow travelmovement of the same having a maximum power action. Another object is to provide apparatus which is essentially simple both in construction and operation, andl inexpensive to build and assemble.- Another object is to `effect a better application of power. Still another object is to reduce to a minimum the waste travel of the primary power means. Another object is to utilize-a minimum of moving parts. Still another object is to provide. improved means forA regulating and controlling the speed and manner of movement of the working plunger andthe degree and extent of the ultimate force applied to the work. Still another object isY to improve the control means for the primary power mechanism. VStill other'objects will be apparent from the detailed ydescription which follows.

Y This application is adivision of application, Serial No. 365,535 led May 23, 1929 which was I'issued on December 19, 1933 as'Patent 1,940,087 and relates particularly to the means for controlling the supply of motive'fiuid to the motor or other iii-lid pressure device.

The invention involves primary power mechanism, a working plunger, and intervening means for apportio-ning the operation of the primary mechanism between mere movement of the plunger into contactlwith work and the actual application of lpower. l By preference the intervening means take the form of a lever generally triangular in shape with the apex in contact with the working plunger, one base end attached to the primary power mechanism and the other base end floating. The guide means for the oating end of the lever determine the eiect upon the working plunger of the application of the primary `force to the other base end. The guide means may take the form of a guide block and the conguration of the guiding surfaces thereon apportions the amount ofV theprimary power which is utilized for mere waste movement ofthe working plunger (necessary to bring it into contact with the work) and determines the speed of application and extent of ultimate multiplied power expended in actual work. The guiding surfaces for producing the desired eiects may be angularly disposed relative to one another and may comprise a series, if dwells of the working plunger are desired during one full movement of the same in one direction. -By providing opposed guiding surfaces on the guide block the plunger may be arranged to perform work in both directions of movement. The invention further involves an improved method and means of manual control whereby a single operating member not only actuates the main control but the reversing control as well for the primary power means.

In order to illustrate the invention concrete embodiments thereof are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View, with certain parts in elevation, of an adaptation of the invention to squeeze riveting, the primary power piston being in its retracted position; and

Fig. 2 is a View, similar to Fig. 1, of the same machine with a modiiied form of guide block and showing the primary power piston in its extended position.

The compression riveting machine shown in Fig. 1 is intended for heading cold rivets 'of alloy steel or duralumin which require a very heavy pressure securely to clamp metal sheets or plates in engagement and to form a proper head upon the rivet. 'I'he tool shown is of the small hand type provided with handles 6 and 1, a yoke 8 for engagement with the work having an anvil 9, and in line with the latter a working plunger I for reciprocatory movement within a bushing II in the yoke. Plunger IIJ carries a replaceable abutment, rivet set, punch, or other working tool I2.

For the primary'power means any suitable or desired motor may be used. In the present instance, the motor is of the fluid pressure type operated by compressed air which enters through handle 6 and is arranged to reciprocate a piston I3 provided with suitable packing means I4 within a cylinder I5 from which handle 'l extends. The piston chamber of the cylinder may be provided with a renewable lining or bushing I5a. Piston I3 has arod or plunger I 3a which projects beyond cylinder I5 and reciprocates with the piston axially of the tool toward and from yoke 8. Working plunger I0 is onset relative to power plunger I3a and may be angularly disposed relative thereto but is shown in parallelism therewith.

The operating connection between power plunger I3a and working plunger I0 comprises a lever I 6 which is generally triangular in shape, as indicated. The apex of the lever engages plunger Il)` and is provided with a renewable bearing member II for direct contact with the plunger. Resilient means such as a spring I8 acting Von plunger IIl yieldingly urges the same to re- Y tracted position and maintains it in contact with bearing member I 'I. One of the base ends of lever i6 is pivotally connected to the projecting end of power plunger I 3a as by a'p'ivot pin I9.

The other base end of the lever is provided with V a frictionless bearing 23 supporting a roller 2| which engages a guide block22 securedto cylinder I5.

The configuration of the surfaces of guide block 22 engaged by roller 2| determines the character of movement of working plunger I6 and the ratio of effective power applied thereby.

Inrthe form shown in Fig. 1, the vguide block has a guiding surface 22a in substantial parallelism with a power plunger I3a and a second guiding surface 221) at a right angle thereto. Surface 22a causes fast advancing movement of plunger IG, for as pressure fluid is admitted to the rear of primary piston I3 the piston moves forwardly along with plunger I3a and lever I6 since roller 2l is then being guided along the horizontal guide surface 22a and the latter is parallel with the center line of the power plunger travel. Thus the movement of these parts is at the speed of piston 9. This portion of the movement brings abutment I2 up to the work. Roller 2| has then reached point 22o and as it begins to move along surface 22h, lever I6 swings on its pivot I9 producing a wedging action between working plunger Io and guide surface 22b with steadily increasing leverage and multiplication of power untill roller 2I reaches the center line or axis of Working plunger' I0. On reversing the fluid pressure motor, piston I3 and power plunger I3a move rearwardly,V roller 2I retracing its movement along guide surface 22h around corner 22C and then along surface 22a to its full line position, working plunger I0 meantime being retracted and maintained in contact with bearing member II by spring I8. With this arrangement, the advancing of working plunger I0 to engagement with the work is rapid, without multiplication of power, and consumes only a fraction of the movement of primary piston I3. During the transverse movement of roller 2| on guide surface 22h, the movement of plunger I0 is much slower but increases in power by reason of the wedging action referred to above.

Fig. 2 shows a machine similar in all respects to that disclosed in Fig. 1 and having similar parts indicated by the same reference characters with the exception of the guide block 23. This guide block has angularly disposed guide surfaces 23a and 23h which form an acute angle, rather than a right angle as in Fig. 1, and are each oblique to the longitudinal and transverse axes, respectively, of the tool. The net result of this guide arrangement is to effect a longer throw or movement of working plunger Ill than was possible with the guide arrangement shown in Fig. 1, and the stages of movement-both without multiplication of power and with increase in power-are greater than in the Fig. 1 arrangement.

The invention also involves novel control means for the primary power motor. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it is noted that a single 2,052,976 f il manual control lever 3D is provided for actuating both the main control 3| and the reversing control 32. In the event of the use of an electric motor for the primary power means, controls 3| and 32 would be switches but, inasmuch as the motor shown is of the fluid pressure type, control 3l includes throttle valve 3Ia. which Yis yieldinglyV urged to its seat by a spring 3Ib while reversing control 32 consists of a valve reciprocable in a bushing32a and provided on its exterior with a groove 32h and with an axially extending boreY 32e provided with ports 32d and 32e for registra-V tion in lalternation with a port I5b leading to the in the positions shown in'Fig. 1, throttle valve 3 Ia` being closed and groove 32h establishing commu-f nication between one of the branches of inlet port 34 and passage |50 leading to the forward end of the piston chamber. The rear end of the piston chamber is Vented toV atmosphere through ports |517, 32d, and vent bore 32e. To operatey the control valve to move piston I3 forwardly, the opsoi erator presses down hard upon lever 30 and such Y movement of .lever 30 opens throttle valve 3IcV and causes the fulcrum portion 30h of the Vlever to engage washer 33 whereupon pivot pinV 30a lifts reversing valve 32 to the position shown inl Fig. 2 whereupon the upper branch of inlet 34 is connected by groove 32h to port I5b openinginto' the rear end of the piston chamber, the forward end of which is vented to atmosphere through passage I5c, port 32e, and vent bore 320. AV'Io effect reverse movement of the piston, the operator releases the pressure on lever 30 sufficiently to permit spring 32 to move valve 32 to its lowermost position (Fig. 1) but still maintains sufcient pressure on the lever to hold the fulcrum 30h in contact with washer 33, for thus throttlev valve 3I is held open. Release of all pressure on lever 30 permits the closing of throttle valve 3Ia by spring 3Ih and restores all the parts tothe position shown in Fig. 1. Y

summarizing the above described operation, the

invention claimed in this application comprises a ing control, which performs the dual function of Y distributing the motive uid to one end of the motor depending on the position of the lever, and at the same time discharging the other end of the motor to atmosphere. Y

While the invention has been herein disclosed i tion of now of air in said passageway, a manually operable lever controlling said valve and reversing means, said lever being adapted to be grasped in the hand and being arranged to act, by continuous movement toward the body member, rst to open the admission valve and thereafter to operate the reversing means, said valve having a portion engaging the lever and adapted to be depressed thereby to open position, a spring normally holding said valve in closed position, and yielding means including a second spring tending to arrest the lever in an intermediate position between the opening of the admission valve and the operation of the reversing means, said second spring being of suflicieit strength relative to the rst-mentioned spring to require a greater manual force to move the lever beyond said intermediate position than is required to move said lever from its normal to its intermediate position.

2. A pneumatic controller comprising a fluid pressure operated device, an admission valve for controlling the admission of air to the device, a spring engaging said valve and urging it toward closed position, a discharge valve for controlling the discharge of air from the device, a manually-operable member controlling said valves and arranged to act, by continuous movement in one direction toward said admission valve and against the pressure of said spring, first to open the admission valve and thereafter to close the discharge valve, and yielding means tending to arrest the manually-operable member in a position intermediate between the opening of the admission valve and the closing of the discharge valve, said yielding means comprising a second spring which is interposed between a part carried by the manually-operable member and a part xed to the fluid pressure operated device, said second spring being arranged to resist movement of the manually operable member relative to said device, said second spring being of sufficient strength as compared with the first-mentioned spring to require a greater manual force to move the member beyond said intermediate position than is required to move said member from its normal to said intermediate position.

3. In combination, a fluid pressure motor having a main throttle valve with a projecting stem and a b ase adjacent thereto, and a reversing valve, a spring for yieldingly holding said reversing valve in one position, an actuating lever pivoted at one end upon said reversing valve and having a portion extending above the projecting stem of said throttle valve, a separate spring for forcing the throttle valve against the lever, said lever having a fulcrum part to engage said base, whereby on initial movement of said lever said throttle valve is opened and on further movement said reversing valve is moved against the action of said first-mentioned spring.

4. In combination, a fluid pressure motor having a throttle valve with an upwardly projecting stem and a fixed base surrounding the stem, a reversing valve, said valves being adapted to reciprocate along parallel axes respectively, a fluid passage leading from the throttle valve to the motor, said passage being under control of the reversing valve, a spring urging the throttle valve upwardly to closed position, a second spring urging the reversing valve downwardly to reversing position, a lever pivotally connected to the reversing valve, said lever being adapted to be grasped in the hand and pressed downwardly against the throttle valve stem to open the throttle valve, said lever having a fulcrum adapted to engage the surrounding base whereby further movement of the free end of the lever causes it to rock about said fulcrum and lift the reversing valve to forward position.

5. A fluid pressure device according to claim 4, in which the reversing valve spring has a greater tension than the throttle valve spring, whereby, when the fulcrurn portion of the lever is held against the base of the throttle valve, release of pressure on the free end of the lever permits rapid movement of the reversing valve to forward position.

GEORGE T. HARCOURT. 

